By James Khangenbam 12 Feb 2023 Imphal :
In the ancient time, it is believe that the Maram Tribes erect stone to show their wealth and might. When one stone is named after one man he has to offer the whole villagers a non-vegetarian meal. The custom of burying a piece of Iron at the base of the Monolith speaks of putting off the life spirit of the stones, as it is believed that every stone erection during a person’s life time is considered to be alive. In this regard the people of Willong speaks of the calling of Names among Monoliths at midnight such as Kanga, Hinga, Hiila, etc for the same reason only few dare to go to this site during night time.
“ Kanga, Khala, Thila are some of the female stone “ and Numdulung, Hiwa, Kaba, are some of the male stone at the Katak Site of Willong Village. To own a stone they split local wine at the foot of the erected stone and sleep with longings for owning a stone in the Katak stone site of Willong. If it appears that the stone belongs to him in his dream the dreamer owns the stone. Such is the ritual of owning a symbolic stone in Willong.
The Katak Stones of Willong
The Katak stone site in Willong stands tall to the natural site of a very greenish tree and red soil. The village is resided by Maram tribes and is 40 kilometre drive from the Maram main road (National Highway 39). In the old practice while erecting a ceremonial big stone they also keep a small stone adjacent to the big one as a tradition of accompanies. The stone symbolises strength and sportsmanship. As a good practice people use to put up weed on top of the erecting stone and try to take it down with their toes. Rock climbing competition in a run mount after a short pace and stone jumps from one roof of a 10 feet tall stone to another at a gap of 3 to 4 feet is another adventure they enjoy.
People of Willong still believe that the stone protects them. Perhaps drawn from the idea that the stony hills protect them from storms and natural disasters. They also have a fear psychosis that if they do not appease the stone the boulders might run after them. The stories associated with the Katak Stones also narrates a lot of cultural and traditional practices of the ancestors of Maram Tribes. Among the stones, there are also pairs whom the people of Maram believe that they were lovers but forbidden for certain reasons. If a child attends a height based on the marked parameter at the Katak stones he is considered to be matured. The cultural associations with the stones makes the Katak Stones unique. The centuries old historically associated stone of Katak lies naked to the Sun and is protected with barb wire fencing by the villagers. The public regarded it as a heritage site. Many people have paid visit to the Site for its uniqueness and historical importance to the people living around.
